Social Interaction Declining

Do you seem to have fewer friends than you used to? You're normal. But why? Is it because your work hours have increased? Is it the internet? Why do we have fewer friends than we used to?:

The effect of hours of work on social interaction, by Karine Lamiraud and Henry Saffer, Vox EU: Do you know who your friends are? Have you seen them lately? Data from both the United States and France show that some important forms of social interaction are on the decline (Putnam 1996; Blanpain and Pan Ké Shon 1998). While membership in social groups has remained relatively stable over time, there has been a decline in visiting friends, neighbours, and relatives. This decline in visiting is not simply due to friends switching to email communication and socializing at work. Evidence of a true decline in friendship is provided by McPherson, Smith-Lovin and Brashears (2006), who document a decline in the reported number of close friends over the past 20 years. Understanding the determinants of the decline in visiting has attracted interest in both the academic literature and in the popular press. It raises concerns on both sides of the Atlantic because social interaction is thought to have positive effects on the mental and physical health of individuals and the efficiency of economic institutions.

Are work and friends complements or substitutes? An intuitively plausible reason offered for the recent decline in social interaction is growth in hours of work per capita. In particular, the increase in female labour force participation has increased hours of work per capita, which could result in less social interaction. However, it has also been argued that individuals who work longer hours are more inclined to both civic engagement and visiting with friends and neighbours. This could occur if there were an important unobserved third factor such as ambition that affects both working hours and social contacts. For example, an individual who is ambitious may choose to work long hours and to participate in civic organisations and meet with friends and neighbours more than a less ambitious individual. In this case, hours of work and social interaction would be positively related.

Source: economistsview.typepad.com

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You're argument is too black and white. Why does rap make more money than literature? Shall we talk about the way that technology and media change the way people choose their entertainment? Should we talk about teenagers and MTV and the social status they see that rapper's have? Shoudl we talk about declining literacy levels? Rap is cooler, no doubt and far more accessible. Literature is an aging art form, a lot of young people don't find it relevant partially because they don't open books. It's apple's and oranges.
I think very similar things happen in academia to the business world

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In the social sciences, the word "clique" is used to describe a group of 2 to 12 (averaging 5 or 6) “persons who interact with each other more regularly and intensely than others in the same setting.” Cliques are distinguished from "crowds" in that their members interact with one another (e.g., hang out together, go shopping, play basketball...